Simple Green Gram Curry

This Green Gram Curry is a simple and yummy curry. This curry goes well with all the main dishes.
We do prepare this Green Gram Curry very often,

As I said it is easy, simple, quick and needs very minimum ingredients.
I have used Green Gram /Whole moong, tomatoes, garam masala, rasam powder.
I prepared this curry for having Kuhbz a type of roti. This Kahbz or Kubz is brought all the way from Dubai by our close friend Pushpa Talitaya. This is a bring back memory of eating Kuhbz after some years.
Kuhbz is normally baked in clay oven and it is the traditional dish from Middle easy, Iran, Lebanon.

No Onion or No Garlic Dish.

Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To Cook
Whole moong/Green Gram : 1 Cup
Tomatoes : 2 to 3
Potatoes : 2 (Medium sized)
Methi Seeds : 1/4 tsp
To Add :
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tsp
Rasam Powder : 1 Tsp
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : An inch
Salt : As required
Butter ; 1 Tbs
To Season :
Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and soak whole moong for 4 to 5 hours or you can cook them without soaking.
2. Wash and cut tomatoes, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
3. Wash and peel off ginger outer layer and grate ginger and keep it aside.
4. Wash and cut potatoes with its skin and keep it aside.
5. Keep a pressure cooker on the fire and put whole moong, cut potatoes, slit green chilly and 1/4 tsp of methi seeds.
6. Add required water and cook it for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave it for cooling.
7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of cooking oil, mustard seeds.
8. Let it splutter. Add jeera and curry leaves. Add cut tomatoes, Grated ginger and fry nicely.
9. Add garam masala powder and rasam powder. Add little turmeric powder.
10. Stir nicely and add required salt. Add cooked moong and potatoes.
11. Add required water and cook nicely for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in between.
12. Shift the ready Green Gram curry to a serving dish, add cut coriander leaves and butter.
13. Serve with rotis, chapatis, poori or even dosas.
14. We had this Green Gram Curry with Kabz, a type or roti You get in Dubai.

Note : 

Soaking whole moong helps the moong to cook well and good nutritious too. Adding more spices is optional. Adding butter is optional. Adding more chilly is optional. Soaking whole moong is optional. You can cook whole moong without cooking also.
Time : Soaking time 4 hours + cooking time 30 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Ragi & Nuts Laddu

Ragi and Nuts laddu is a sweet dish and you can  relish these laddu in the morning as energy booster.

Ragi & Nuts Laddu has lots of dates, almonds, cashews, little figs and very little ghee. I have also used fresh rose petals which we get from our home garden. It has turned the laddu very tasty.
I tried these laddu for taking it for travelling and also packed some to give it for my sisters. Laddu is good to bite at any time of the day and provides good energy to stay cheerful whole day.

Let us see some benefits of eating dates in our diet.

Dates are very nutritious. They are a source of antioxidants. They can help to reduce blood pressure.
Dates are good for brain health.They are good for bone health. They are rich in fiber. They are rich in antioxidants. They help in controlling the blood sugar level. They are good natural sweetener.
No Sugar or jaggery added in this Ragi&Nuts Laddu.
 It is good for any age group. Good to pack for kids snack, ladies day out, travel and picnics.
Used a pack of dates instead of sugar or jaggery.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Ragi flour : 1/2 Cup
Dates : 500 Grams.
Almonds : 1/2 Cup.(20 to 25).
Cashews : 2 Tbs
Coconut : 1 Cup (5 to 6 tbs).
Rose petals : 2 Rose flowers.
Gasagase/ Poppy Seeds : 1 Tbs full.
Figs : 3 to 4
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Take out the seeds from dates and put it in a pan. Keep on the fire and stir slowly. As you stir,  hot dates turn soft. You must do it on low flame, so that it does not get burnt.

2. Grate coconut. Cut almonds and cashews in to small pieces.

3. Dry roast 1/2 cup of Ragi flour and put it in a big bowl.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add dates and stir slowly till they turn soft.

5. Put off the fire and take out the dates to a big bowl.
6. Add grated coconut to a pan and dry roast. Add poppy seeds and roast for a minute.

7. Take it out and put it to a big bowl. Cut figs into small pieces and add it to dates mixture.

8. Just stir rose petals in that hot pan. (No need to be kept on fire). Add this to a big bowl).

9. Now kneed dates nicely.
10. now add roasted coconut, poppy seeds, cut almonds and mix it slowly while you kneed dates.

11. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put 2 tbs of ghee and fry cashews nicely till it turns golden brown.

12. Add this fried cashews with ghee to dates bowl and kneed it again to get good form of sweet ball.

13. See that all the ingredients mixes well.

14. Take a handful of the mixture and make laddu. Laddu is ready to serve.

15. Serve or eat as you like and keep the rest in a box.

 Note :
When you stir dates it turns soft and it is easy to smash it to soft texture. No sugar or jaggery is added here. You can powder almonds and add it to the Laddu. Adding pieces of almonds taste better. (Optional). Adding coconut is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves  30 Laddus can be prepared. ( According to the size you want).

Time : 30 Minutes.

Horse Gram & Cucumber Chutney

Horse Gram & Cucumber Chutney is one of the yummy dish that I tried recently. It is the combination of Horse gram and cucumber goes well and you get yummy chutney.

I have used Horse gram, mangalore cucumber, red byadagi chilly, ingh/asafoetida and coconut.
Let us see the recipe now "

Things needed 

Horse Gram : 1 Tablespoon full
Mangalore Cucumber : 1 Bowl
Coconut : 1 Cup
Red byadagi chilly : 4 to 5
Mango Tokku : 1 Tsp
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
ingh/Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and cut cucumber, remove the pulp completely and cut cucumber into small and dip in a bowl full of water.

2. Remove the pieces from water and cut it into small pieces.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and add 1/4 tsp of oil and fry horse grams nicely till it gets crisp.

4. Add chilly and fry for a minute.

5. Add cut cucumber and fry for 2 to 3 minutes and put off the fire.
6. Add some curry leaves and ingh to the fried ingredients and let it cool. Add Mango tokku.

7. Grate coconut, grind it with fried ingredients and mango tokku.

8. Add required water while grinding. (The chutney should be thick).
9. Add salt and grind it for a few seconds.

10. Take out the chutney to a serving dish.

11. Prepare seasoning and add it to Chutney.  Use coconut oil, mustard seeds, 1 red chilly, curry leaves and ingh/asafoetida.

12. Serve as one of the side dish.

Note :

Dry roast or fry horse gram on low flame. Let it fry nicely. You can use the cucumber peel also to fry and grind. I have used the peel.
Soak cut cucumber in plain water to get rid of bitter taste.
Adding more chilly is optional. Use of coconut oil taste good. (Optional).
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Traditional Haalubai

Haalubai/ಹಾಲುಬಾಯಿ is one of the traditional yummy sweet dish From South Canara.
It is quick, simple and delicious.

Once upon a time people of South Canara People used to grow lots of paddy those days. Even jaggery used to stored in Big Tins. Coconut groves used to taken care and coconuts were used in plenty. People knew to make use of the ingredients available at home. So the Halubai came into existence I feel.
Since I grew up with my doddamma still remember that the paddy fields, people sing while they planting paddy plants  in field. Doddamma used to make this sweet for coffee time in the afternoon and the people were happy to get a piece of it. The rains pour, cold weather, hot coffee, sweet haalubai its all memories now.
Even in this part of Karnataka people do prepare Halubai. It is mouth watering sweet dish and they do use more coconut milk. The slice of halubai dances in our hand. (Means its soft and smooth and yummy to have).
There are varieties of halubai, prepared using different grains like ragi, millet, rava wheat etc.
Here is a traditional Halubai which is prepared using raw rice, coconut, jaggery, cardamom and ghee.
It is always better to use dosa rice. The Halubai turns lovely and the experience speaks here. Use of ghee can be limited and added while eating. But I love to pour ghee while preparing it self. It is super delicious and just melts in the mouth.
Eating jaggery helps to boost our energy, helps in easy digestion.
Let us see the recipe now :
It is very simple, easy, delicious traditional dish and you can make it quickly.

Ingredients : 

Raw rice : 1 Cup
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Jaggery : Powdered : 1/2 Cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tbs
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods.

Method :

1. Soak raw rice for an hour and grind it with 1/2 cup of coconut. Use little water to grind. The consistency should be bit thicker than neeru dosa.

2. Powder jaggery and keep it aside.
3. Now keep a pan and put ground rice and coconut mixture. Add a pinch of salt to it.
4. Add powdered jaggery and stir on low flame.

5. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
6. Stir continuously till the batter thickens.

7. Add a tbs of ghee and keep stirring till the whole rice mixture turn as one ball and it starts to leave the edges and comes to middle.

8. Add remaining ghee and cardamom to it and keep stirring for another 5 minutes.
9.Check with by touching the halubai. It does not stick. So it is done. You can also see that shiny texture.

10. Greece the plate or banana leaf with ghee and spread the mixture evenly.

11. Cut it when it is little cool.

12. Serve for lunch or snack time.

Note :

You can add more ghee. It adds to the taste. Adding more jaggery is optional.Do not make the mixture very thin or very thick. It should be thicker than neer dosa. 1 glass rice, 1 glass of water.
Time : 20 Minutes

Serves : 25 Small pieces.

Hayagreeva

Hayagreeva is one of the sweet dish, that is normally prepared for Shree Krishna Prasada / Naivedyam. Hayagreeva is prepared using Channa dal, lots of ghee, coconut and jaggery.
There is a story behind it about this sweet Hayagreeva.

My Mother used to tell this story to us and we would listen to her.
Guru Thirtha Vyasarayaru used to prepare this sweet praying Lord Vishnu and used to take it for Naivedyam. But the bowl used to be empty when it is kept in front of the God. Guru Vyasarayaru used to feel very sad but still continued preparing Hayagreeva and taking all the way to Naivedya. Guru always thinking of Lord, Lord Vishnu used to come in the form of horse and eat all the prasada, whitle walking behind Shree Vyasarayaru while he is taking the prasada bowl on his head. Lord used to eat and disappear. This sweet is arpitha for Lord Vishnu. Since Lord Vishnu used to come as Horse faced animal / Haya means Horse, Vadana means the face and since He came in the form of  Horse and ate all the sweet prepared by his bhakta, the sweet got its name as Hayagreeva.
We people from Udupi call this Hayagreeva as Maddi. Maddi means is mixed. Hayagreeva is prepared using Channa dal, ghee, coconut, jaggery and cardamom. Lots of cashews and raisins are used on the top. It is heavenly to eat. It is a must for Naivedya for  Lord Krishna in Krishna/Vishnu Temples.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Channa Dal : 1 Cup
Fresh Grated Coconut : 1 Cup
Jaggery 3/4 Cup
Ghee : 1/2 Cup or little more.
Cardamom : 3 to 4 Pods
Cashews and Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Wash and cook channa dal in pressure cooker with required water.
2. Powder or crush cardamom seeds into small.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

4. Now put cooked channa dal in a big pan and add jaggery. Take out the extra water from cooked channa dal before adding jaggery.

5. Jaggery starts to melt and mix dal nicely with jaggery.

6. Let jaggery turns as 1 string consistency.

7. Stir in between and add coconut and a tbs of ghee. Stir nicely.
8. Stir till all the moisture disappear. Fry cashews and raisins in a tbs of ghee and keep it aside.

9. Now add the remaining ghee and powdered cardamom and mix it well.

10. Shift the ready HAYAGREEVA to a serving dish and add fried raisins and cashews. Mix it nicely and serve.

Note :

You can also cook channa dal in a big bowl. (Without using pressure cooker). Optional.
You can add more /less jaggery according to your requirement.
Adding more/less ghee is optional.
See that coconut and jaggery is mixed well with channa dal to get a good taste.
Time : 30 Minutes

Serves : 4 to 5.